UNWELCOME VISITORS: Several Pasco County schools firm up fence lines and hire exterminators to get rid of coyotes and pigs on campus. • Bears frequent a Bay County elementary school, the Panama City News Herald reports. (Times photo, Edward Linsmier)

SUMMER SCIENCE: Hernando schools plan to offer summer science camps at the county environmental center for the first time.

ABBREVIATED BREAK: Lee schools plan a 58-day summer vacation to get more instruction in before the FCAT, the Fort Myers News-Press reports.

ANOTHER SCANDAL? Monroe's superintendent says there's misappropriation of funds taking place in the district's food services department, the Keynoter reports.

CIVIL RIGHTS LAWSUIT: The University of Central Florida defends itself against a lawsuit by a professor who claims she was improperly dismissed over her unwillingness to use a specific textbook, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

About the blog

Gradebook features education articles and insights on schools in Florida, focusing on Tampa Bay area schools. What's the latest from the Florida Department of Education? How is the FCAT being used to compare Florida schools? What's going on in Tampa Bay schools? Get an insider's view from the Times education reporting team.